Rugby's population expanded in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, ethnicity and health.
The population passed 100,000
In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Rugby increased by 14%, from just under 87,500 to 100,000.
The addition of almost 13,000 people means this area's population was the fastest-growing in the West Midlands and increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).
In 2011, Rugby was home to, on average, 2 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.
Population density was lower than the average across the West Midlands
Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the West Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)
- Rest of the West Midlands
- Rugby
- Average across England
An older Rugby
Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.
Between the last two censuses, the median age of Rugby increased by one year, from 39 to 40 years.
This suburban area had a slightly higher average age than the West Midlands and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).
The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 3,700 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 400.
About 15% of people in Rugby are aged between 40 and 49 years
Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Rugby by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Fewer people worked long hours
Long hour working fell in Rugby, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the West Midlands.
Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a fall in the proportion of people working long hours, as the regional average fell from 13% to 9.4%.
During this period, Rugby went from having the 16th-highest to the twelfth-highest percentage of long hours workers out of 309 English local authority areas.
Long hour working was higher than across the West Midlands
Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011
- Rest of the West Midlands
- Rugby
- Average across England
Rise in private renting
The percentage of households in Rugby that rented privately increased from 6.8% to 14% between the last two censuses.
The percentage that lived in social housing remained close to 14%, while the percentage of Rugby households that owned their home decreased from 76% to 69%.
The proportion of privately rented homes increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 7.3% in 2001 to 14% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 17%.
Private renting in Rugby increased by 7.3 percentage points
Percentage of households in Rugby, the West Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Disability in Rugby
The percentage of Rugby residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 90% between the last two censuses.
The percentage who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 2.7%, while the percentage of Rugby residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 7.6% to 7.1%.
The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (which remained close to 89%). Across England, the percentage remained close to 90%.
The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the West Midlands
Percentage of usual residents that reported not being limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011
- Average across England
Ethnicity in Rugby
The number of people in Rugby from the White ethnic groups increased from just over 82,000 in 2001 to just under 91,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 94% to 91%.
The percentage decreased by less than the average across the West Midlands (from 89% to 83%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).
The number of people in Rugby from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 3,300 in 2001 to just over 5,200 in 2011 (from 3.7% to 5.2%). The number of residents from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from about 850 to about 2,000 (from 1.0% to 2.0%).
Just under 2,000 people (1.2%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from about 1,000 in 2001 (2.0%).
The population from the White ethnic groups in Rugby decreased by 3.5 percentage points
Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Rugby by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Health improved
The percentage of Rugby residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.7% to 4.5% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.
Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.
In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (83%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 70% in 2001. The percentage of Rugby residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 13%.
The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 9.7% in 2001 to 6.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.
These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.
The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Rugby decreased by 3.2 percentage points
Percentage of usual residents in Rugby, the West Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
More people cohabiting
The percentage of households in Rugby, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 8.5% to 11% between the last two censuses.
The percentage that had only one person remained close to 28%, while the percentage of households in Rugby which comprised a married couple (with or without children) decreased from 41% to 36%.
The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 7.9% in 2001 to 9.6% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.
The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Rugby increased by 2.2 percentage points
Percentage of households in Rugby, the West Midlands and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
More adults are separated from partners
The percentage of adults in Rugby that had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased from 10% to 12% in the decade to 2011.
In 2011, just over one in two (51%) people aged 16 and over said they were married, compared with 56% in 2001. The percentage of single people in Rugby increased from 26% to 30%.
The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 10% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 11% to 12%.
The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner was higher than across the West Midlands
Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011
- Rest of the West Midlands
- Rugby
- Average across England
Religion in Rugby
The number of people in Rugby that described themselves as Muslim increased from about 560 in 2001 to about 1,200 in 2011. This represents a change from 0.6% to 1.2% of the local population.
The percentage increased by less than the average across the West Midlands (from 4.1% to 6.7%) and the average across England (from 3.2% to 5.2%).
The number of people in Rugby that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 65,000 in 2001 to just under 64,000 in 2011 (from 75% to 64%). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 12,000 to just over 24,000 (from 14% to 24%).
Just under 6,900 people (7.7%) did not state their religion, up from about 6,700 in 2001 (6.9%).
The population who identified as Muslim in Rugby remained close to 1.2%
Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Rugby by religion, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Changing work life
The percentage of Rugby residents that were studying increased from 2.1% to 2.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.
In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (58%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 59% in 2001. The percentage of Rugby residents that were unemployed increased from 2.6% to 3.6%.
The proportion of students increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 2.5% in 2001 to 3.3% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.6% to 3.5%.
The percentage of students was lower than across the West Midlands
Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were in education across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011
- Rest of the West Midlands
- Rugby
- Average across England
Families in Rugby
The percentage of households without children changed very little in Rugby, while the proportion increased in Hinckley and Bosworth (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Rugby).
In Rugby, the proportion of households without children stayed close to 62% between the last two censuses. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Hinckley and Bosworth increased from 59% to 63%.
Across the West Midlands, the share of households without children increased from 59% to 59%.
The proportion of households with children in Rugby remained close to 30%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents decreased from 9.1% to 8.6%.
The proportion of households without children was higher than across the West Midlands
Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011
- Rest of the West Midlands
- Rugby
- Average across England
Change in unpaid care
The percentage of Rugby residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.0% to 1.2% between the last two censuses.
The percentage who reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.8%.
The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 1.2% in 2001 to 1.5% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.1% to 1.4%.
The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in Rugby remained close to 1.2%
Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Rugby by care, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Area report data
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